6 Fast Food Chains That Actually Use 100% Real Meat
Fast food is more expensive than ever, so if you're spending upwards of $8 for a burger it's helpful to know which chains offer real meat that hasn't been packed with a ton of added fillers and byproducts. Some of the fast-food chains are better than others at sourcing high-quality beef raised and prepared with care to make the experience and price point worth it. So which one of these restaurants gets the thumbs up? Here are 6 fast food chains that only use 100% real beef in their burger patties.
Wendy's
Wendy's prides itself on fresh, never frozen, high-quality North American beef patties in all its restaurants. The chain says it's "proud to be the first restaurant chain to partner with the Progressive Beef™ program, an innovative animal care and sustainability program that is built on industry-leading best practices and third-party verification, and we are pleased to see continued adoption of the program within our beef supply."
In-n-Out Burger
In-n-Out Burger is proud of doing things "the old-fashioned way", making their patties using only fresh, 100% USDA ground chuck with zero additives, fillers, or preservatives, and controlling the entire process. "Our commitment to quality starts with our hamburgers," the company says. "And our burgers begin with our patties. Each patty is made using only fresh, individually inspected, whole chucks from premium cattle selected especially for In-N-Out Burger. Our team of Associates removes the bones, grinds the meat and then makes each patty."
Shake Shack
Shake Shack is proud to offer 100 percent Angus beef, with no added hormones, antibiotics, animal by-products or sub-therapeutic antibiotics in cattle feed, and the humane and ethical treatment of the cattle. "We believe in the welfare of the cattle raised for our supply chain and require that our suppliers adhere to the highest animal handling and care standards," the company says.
McDonald's
McDonald's serves 100 percent fresh beef patties on a variety of burgers. "That's the only ingredient: 100% real beef," the company says. "Our patties contain no preservatives or fillers, and the only thing we ever add is a touch of salt and pepper when the patties are sizzling hot on the grill… Here's something else you should know: In the U.S., none of the classic burgers or our Quarter Pounder® burgers contain artificial preservatives, artificial flavors or added colors from artificial sources, besides the pickle.* Our pickle contains an artificial preservative, so skip it if you like."
Five Guys
Five Guys only uses fresh ground beef and says there are no freezers in Five Guys locations, just coolers. "While our beef is neither organic nor are the cattle free range, our distributor purchases raw materials from the major meat suppliers in the United States who are required to treat the cattle humanely and follow all the procedures set forth by the USDA," the company says.
Steak n Shake
Steak n Shake prides itself on only using fresh beef patties, plus traditional preparation methods and ingredients. The company is strict about sourcing beef where the cattle has been humanely treated, no hormones, and no animal by-products. "Almost a century later, Steak 'n Shake continues its tradition of preparing the finest quality steakburgers using 100% beef, and our milkshakes are made the old-fashioned way, with real ice cream, indulgent ingredients, and topped with whipped cream and a cherry," the company says.
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